Cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir on Monday condemned the alleged attack on a Muslim man in Gurugram. The newly-elected Bharatiya Janata Party MP from East Delhi demanded that strong action be taken against the culprits.

Mohammad Barkat was allegedly beaten up by a group of men at Jacubpura in Gurugram on Saturday. The 25-year-old was returning to his shop after offering prayers when the group accosted him.

Barkat alleged that the men threatened to feed him pork when he refused to listen to them. “One of the men called me an offensive word and told me that skullcap was not allowed in this area,” Barkat had said. “When I told him that I was returning from a mosque, he slapped me. He also asked me to chant Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Jai Shri Ram. When I refused, he threatened to feed me pork.”

Barkat, who came to Gurugram earlier this month to learn tailoring, claimed that one of the men also beat him up with a stick while abusing him. The group finally dispersed when he started crying. A first information report was filed against one unidentified person.